A Place
by MelodyPond77
Summary: It was a place to keep dry and warm in this miserable, drizzly, Scottish weather. It was a place to center her thoughts, a place to call her own. It was a place to fall in love.
1. A Place to Stay Warm

**OTP Competition: Round 2**

Bookshop! AU

 **WC: 1,022**

* * *

 ** _i._**

 _It was a place to keep dry and warm in this miserable, drizzly, Scottish weather._

Oliver stepped into the quiet bookshop haphazardly, muttering curses and shaking his wet hair like a dog. He'd been caught in a sudden torrent of rain, unexpected but quite unsurprising in the fall. He'd stupidly forgotten his umbrella that morning, because he'd misplaced it and had been running late. Now, rugby practice had been cancelled due to the muddy conditions - they could play in mud, but it was so terrible the ground was as slippery as ice. After spending nearly an hour in the shower trying to wash the mud out of his hair, he'd emerged to be relieved to find it had stopped raining. He'd risked the walk home, but was caught in a shower.

And so he found himself in a bookshop. It was small, clearly an independent business, but the books were bright and the shelves were clean. The shelves rose high, and he wandered further into the stillness, the pattering of the rain fading as he was drawn deeper into the little store.

He heard the door finally click shut behind him with a little _ding!_ With that, the outside world faded and Oliver Wood was all alone in this little corner of calm.

"Can I help you?" a voice called, and Oliver wandered down an aisle looking for the sound.

"Hullo?" he called, feeling lost.

"Take a left!" came the voice again, and Oliver turned as he was told, coming out into a little corner where a checkout desk stood. There was a bright faced young woman at the desk, blonde hair piled into a messy bun and loose sweater on. A mug of tea was on the corner of the desk and a stack of books was piled haphazardly on top.

"Well, hello! Sorry for the crazy clutter. I just have so many books and so little room!"

Oliver smiled. Funnily enough, for one so intent on organization and cleanliness, the chaos of the small bookstore didn't really faze him. He found it intriguing.

Or maybe he really just found the store's beautiful owner intriguing.

"So, can I help you with anything?"

He flushed red as he realized he'd been openly staring at her, not saying a word.

"Sorry! I really just came in here to get out of the rain. I was walking home and it just started pouring again. I had to get inside!" he finished quickly, laughing a little. She smiled, peeking around a corner to look outside at the rain.

"It is coming down out there, isn't it? Well, you're welcome to look around a bit. I've got water on the stove in the back if you'd like some tea?"

"Oh, it's not nec-"

"No charge. You look cold, and I'm getting some anyways. I've got peppermint, chamomile and earl gray. What would you like?"

His smile widened at her energy. "I'll have some peppermint tea, if you don't mind." She nodded her acknowledgment and went to get another mug.

A few minutes of awkward book glancing later, she'd returned.

"I'm Katie, by the way. I'm the owner of this little shop."

He gratefully accepted the steaming mug of tea she handed him and took a sip. "I'm Oliver. And thank you for the tea."

"It's no trouble. So, Oliver, what types of books do you read? Fantasy, biography, science fiction... or are you a romance novel lover?"

He choked on his tea a little. "Actually, I really... don't. I don't read. I guess when I was a kid I was so busy with different things, and I've always preferred to be outside moving instead of sitting with a book, so it never really caught my attention. And then when I got older and learned the benefits of reading and all that, it was too late for me. I didn't know where to start. "

Katie raised an eyebrow. "Well, it's a good thing you're here then. I believe there's a perfect book for everyone. You said you like being outside, right? Do you like adventure?"

Oliver shrugged. "Sure, I guess."

Katie made her way over to a stack of books, scanning the titles until she picked out a small green bound book. It had a simple design on the front and gold lettering.

"Borrow this, and if you like it, maybe you can come back and I'll give you something else?" she said, offering him the book.

"Oh, Katie, I- I couldn't take this. You sell these books for a living, I couldn't let you just turn it into a library for a sorry case like me. It's so beautiful, what if I ruin it? Spill coffee on it, or drop it in the mud, or- or-"

"Oliver, it's fine," she laughed. "It's already used, so another reading won't hurt it. Besides, books were made to be loved and enjoyed. I have multiple copies of this book, it's a classic. Most people would buy it new anyways. So don't worry about it. It's a book, not a life contract."

She pushed the book across the counter, challenging him. He could make out the writing now, it said _The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn_ on it.

"You're sure?"

She smiled. "Of course. And hey, you'll have to come back at least one more time to return the book. Consider this me trying to hold on to the little company I get in this place."

He grinned, tucking the book safely into his bag before heading out into the now cloudy, but rainless, outside.

As he walked back home, the weight of the book in his bag seemed to remind him of her with every step he took. He knew as soon as he got home he would sit down and start to read.

He wanted any excuse to go see that wonderful Katie again.


	2. A Place to be at Peace

**OTP Competition Round 5: Repeat one of the previous round's topics (Bookstore AU)**

This one just begged to be written. And honestly, there's going to be a third one as well.

 **WC: 1,562**

* * *

 _ **ii.** It was a place to center her thoughts, a place to call her own_

When Katie Bell was 14, her parents were killed in a terrible car crash that left both her and her brother orphaned. Fortunately, her brother William, being six years her senior, was in the process of signing on with Scotland's national rugby team. The six months between after their parents' deaths and before he got his first paycheck, they struggled to put bread on the table, with him working two jobs between taking care of Katie and practices. After he began getting his horrendous paychecks, though, they quickly moved into a respectable town house and Katie was able to go to university. But she was never as comfortable with the newfound fame and wealth her brother was quickly becoming accustomed to, and so she began to look for ways to escape. After getting lost on the Scottish moors for six hours without telling anyone where she had gone, her brother decided to make some changes. Katie was going to have somewhere to go where she could be herself, but also where she could be safe.

So, in classic William Bell fashion, he bought her a bookstore to run. The quaint little store quickly became a place where she could center her thoughts and her feelings, study, read books and stack shelves, and create her own world. Hardly anyone ever disturbed her, for the people who came in simply browsed her shelves and then purchased their treasures. It was perfect for the quiet, shy young woman she had become.

But when Oliver Wood walked through her doors one drizzly, miserable day, Katie thought her world was going to be shattered. She was sure he would recognize her, or that his being here would merge her rugby life and her bookstore life forever, and that peace would be lost.

To her surprise, she found herself smiling with him, laughing, and then lending him a book. He was nothing like the surly rugby player she met at the events her brother dragged her to. He was nice, and he gave no sign of recognizing her, so she pretended not to recognize him.

It took him a week to come back. When he did, she was a little more prepared for his emergence around the corner. His hair was damp and his cheeks were flushed. She assumed he'd just come from practice.

"Oliver! How are you?"

"Hey, Katie. I finished that book you lent me. It was really interesting."

"So you like it? Mark Twain is pretty amazing." He nodded, pushing the book towards her on the desk. She wanted to reach out and smooth down the cowlick sticking up on the side of his head, but she refrained.

"Yea. What else did he write? I couldn't put Huck Finn down - all the adventure, and the things they did, like traveling down the river and Huck pretending to be that girl. It was pretty funny."

Katie laughed. "Well, if you liked that one, you might like this as well. This one is about Tom Sawyer. Technically it came first, but I always liked Huckleberry Finn better." She slid a copy of _The Adventures of Tom Sawyer_ across the desk. "Try it, and see how you like it."

"Yea alright!" He took the book, but he made no move to leave.

"Was there something else you wanted?"

"I wanted to... I wanted to ask for other book suggestions!" He said quickly.

Katie shrugged. "I've got time... do you want some tea? We can talk books for a while if you'd like."

Oliver smiled gratefully and sat down, grinning.

* * *

After that, it became a habit. Oliver would come in on some of the afternoons to talk about anything and everything. Katie told him about her parents, how she'd been raised by her brother, and how this bookstore was like her sanctuary. He spoke about his childhood and how introverted he was. They quickly became friends, and each visit Katie found herself falling a little bit more in love. He was so sweet and kind to her, and it was very different than what she'd ever seen from him before.

"Hey Katie!" he called one chilly afternoon, a few weeks before Christmas. "I hate you, you know that?" He stamped snow off his boots and shook his head as he came in from the cold.

"You finished it then?" She grinned. She'd lent him _The Princess Bride_ a week ago. He'd initially refused, saying it sounded too girly for him. But eventually he conceded, taking the book with an eye roll and a chuckle.

"Yea, I finished it. No romance? That was bull!"

"But you loved it, didn't you?"

"Absolutely," he said.

"I've got water on, do you want some peppermint tea?" she asked, pulling out the same mug she saved for his use each visit.

"I've actually got to run somewhere soon. But I wanted to stop by to ask you something," he said, shifting on his feet.

"Alright. What's up?" She put the mug back and leaned on the counter, waiting.

"Um, well, I've got this Christmas party with my rugby team to go to next weekend, and we're supposed to bring dates, so I was wondering if... if you'd like to go with me?"

Katie's eyes widened. The Christmas party! For some reason, she never even thought Oliver would consider asking her. When he was with her, she forgot that he was her brother's teammate.

"I mean, we can go as friends if you want, but... I'd like to take you."

"Oliver... I'm really sorry, but I'm busy that night. However," she said, glancing down at the book in front of them. "I want to go out with you. Maybe... Well, they made _The Princess Bride_ into a movie, so maybe we could watch it together sometime? It's good, you'll love it, I promise."

Oliver looked disappointed for a second, but then the full meaning of her words hit him. "Yea! Uh, yea! I'd love to do that with you some time. Maybe I could call you about details with that?"

Katie nodded. "Here," she said, pulling out a notepad and scribbling her cell number down. "Here's my cell, why don't you call me sometime?"

Oliver took the paper, grinning. "I've got to go, but - thank you. I'll definitely call you!" He hesitated for a second, then kissed her on the cheek quickly, blushing as he pulled back, and then he all but ran from the room.

Katie smiled as she put a hand to her cheek. She couldn't wait for their little movie date.

* * *

"Katie, why are you so nervous? We've been to this party every year since I joined the team. You look beautiful. More beautiful than usual, actually. What's up?"

Her brother leaned against her doorframe as he watched his sister hurry around her room, glancing in the mirror every few seconds to check her mascara or lipstick or blush and watching her change necklaces and earrings constantly.

"Katie, no one's going to care. You're my sister, and we're going simply to make an appearance. There's no need to freak out," he said, glancing at his watch. "Now, can we go?"

"Fine," she huffed, grabbing her coat and her clutch. "Let's go."

Downstairs, they hailed a cab to get to local hotel, where the party was being held. The nearer they got, the more Katie fidgeted.

"Come on, sis, stop freaking out, you look fine," Will muttered. They climbed the steps up to the lobby, Will placing one hand on her back to help her up the steps.

And that's when they saw him. He was entering just before them, and Will grinned and called out to him.

"Oliver! How are you? Do you remember K-"

"Katie? What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Oliver. I told you I was busy tonight," she said, smiling. "It's good to see you though."

Oliver scowled. "Busy spending the evening with your famous boyfriend, of course. You've known who I was the entire time, didn't you? And yet you didn't say anything, just led me on like a fool?" He said, his voice rising. Katie stepped back in shock. She was not expecting this reaction.

"What? I-"

"Look, just forget it, Katie. See you around," he muttered, pushing back the shocked Bells and hurrying down the steps, out into the cold.

Katie realized he was leaving a second to late. "Oliver, wait!" she cried, hurrying down the stairs as fast as she could in her four inch heels. "Wait! Will isn't my date!"

But Oliver was either not listening or too far away to here her, for he didn't turn around. By the time Katie got outside after him, he was gone.

"Oh, Oliver..." she sighed, tears welling in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered, then sank onto the hotel steps and began to sob.


	3. A Place to Fall in Love

**WC: 2,119**

 _ **iii.** It was a place to fall in love._

"Katie?" After placing her in a cab and sending her home, her brother had gone back into the party to give his regrets to the managers. He'd jumped in a cab soon after, so Katie had only been home for a few minutes before she could hear his footsteps climbing the stairs to her room.

"Katie, what just happened back there?" Will entered his sister's room and sighed. Katie was curled on the floor, sobbing. This was the most distraught he'd seen her since their parents death.

"I-I love h-him," she sobbed out, and Will paused in confusion.

"Him? As in Oliver Wood? You hardly know him, Katie." He sat down on the foot of her bed, and she sat up, brushing away her tears.

"Yes, I do! Probably better than you know him," she spat, narrowing her eyes. "He's been coming into my bookshop for months and talking to me. We've become friends, and- and he asked me to the party, but I knew I was going with you, so I had to turn him down, but I didn't think about what he would think when we arrived together." Her eyes welled with tears again. "And now I've ruined it."

Will sat back. "Why didn't you ever tell him who you were?"

"Well, I didn't want him to know me as your little sister. I wanted to get to know him as Katie, not Katie Bell. All the fame and fortune you come with... I'm just not as comfortable being known as you are, Will. And I didn't want the fame of your rugby team to get between us. He's been so kind to me and we've become so close... I don't want to lose that," she whispered.

Will sighed, grabbing a tissue and handing it to her. "Look, if it helps, I'll talk to him in practice tomorrow. If you want, I can even pass along something. We'll work it out. I think he likes you, too. If he didn't, he wouldn't have been so mad at seeing you with me. Why don't you get changed and wipe off your makeup, and when you're ready come downstairs for some hot cocoa."

Katie sniffled and nodded, then reached out and gave her brother a giant hug. "Thank you for being so amazing, Will. I'm sorry for making you leave the party early."

Will smiled. "Nah, that outburst from Oliver was the most entertaining thing I've seen yet. Get ready, ok? See you downstairs." And with a gentle kiss on his sister's cheek, he went downstairs to start damage control.

* * *

Oliver stormed into his apartment in anger. He really thought Katie had been different. At first it was good, because she didn't seem to recognize him. It was always refreshing when he could talk to someone who didn't realize he played for the Scottish rugby team. Then it was good because he realized she was beautiful, smart, funny and above all, so kind, and by then he was in love.

He had really been looking forward to going to the party with her. Every year it was dull and boring, but he had hoped that this year it would be slightly enjoyable. And even when she had said she couldn't go, he'd seen the disappointment in her eyes and truly believed she was sorry. He had been looking forward to going out with her.

And then she showed up with stupid, popular William Bell, and everything had gone to hell. Finding out she'd simply been toying with him the entire time hurt more than any injury he'd ever received. For a girl he'd never even taken out on a date, she had managed to hurt him a lot.

Ripping off his tie, he shoved a hand through his hair, messing it up. He stalked to his kitchen and swung open the fridge door, grabbing a beer and sitting down on his couch. All he wanted to do right now was drink all the pain away. He knew that wasn't the right way to solve his problems, but for the moment, that was all he could do.

"Fuck you, Katie," he muttered, and swigged down half the beer.

* * *

"Well, Katie, you've done a number on him," Will called as he walked into their townhouse. "He showed up halfway through practice hungover and looking like he'd slept the night in an alley. Actually, he might have. He left as soon as practice finished. Not even Coach could catch him before he left, and we all know that letting Coach sit on his anger for too long simply makes it worse. Honestly, if he weren't such an amazing player and hasn't had such a good record up until now, he'd probably be out of a job."

Katie gasped. "No! Will, this is all my fault! I need to fix this," she murmured, looking around for ideas. Her eyes landed on her bookshelf. "Maybe..." she crossed over to the opposite wall, scanning through the titles to look for a particular one. "Finally! Maybe this will help."

Will stood there, bemused, as he watched his sister pull a hardback book off the shelf and run upstairs.

"Okay, they've both gone mad," he muttered, and turned around to go take a shower.

* * *

The next day, Oliver made sure to show up to practice on time and sober. As hurt as he was by Katie, he knew it wasn't worth sacrificing his place on the team. He just had to get through the practice so he could go home and drink more. His heart clenched as he remembered what day it was. Tuesday. Usually, after practice, he would go by the bookshop. But, clearly, that wasn't going to happen anymore.

He slammed his locker shut and turned around, pausing when he realized William Bell was standing right there, holding something wrapped in red paper and tied with a golden bow.

"What do you want," he said, his voice cold.

"Katie wanted me to give this to you," William said, holding out the package.

"I don't want anything from your girlfriend," Oliver growled, pushing the package aside and trying to step by. But to his surprise, William started to laugh.

"See, that's what I don't get. You never _once_ stopped to check if she was actually my girlfriend. How'd you know she wasn't just coming with me as a friend? Or, you know, the _actual truth,_ that you've spent the past few months flirting with my _sister?"_

Oliver froze. His sister? That wasn't possible. Katie's last name was...

And that's when he realized, he didn't actually _know_ her last name. It had never come up. He hadn't wanted to ask in case she'd asked for his.

"Katie's your sister? Really?"

"Yea. She's my little sister, mate. And she's been moping around the house the past few days because of you, so take the damn present and fix this. I don't want to have to beat the crap out of you, Coach would kill me."

Oliver took the present, glancing down again. He was still trying to wrap his head around what had happened. "Oh, Lord, I've made a terrible mistake, haven't I?"

William shrugged. "See, the good thing is, my sister's pretty forgiving. And she's gonna be at the bookshop this afternoon. So you know," he said, winking.

Oliver nodded, glancing down at the present. Then, he placed it carefully in his bag. He knew he wouldn't be able to practice well if he waited, but he didn't want to risk knowing whatever was in that package. It could be better, but it could also be worse.

He barely got through practice without too much grief from his Coach. With a stern "We'll talk tomorrow", Oliver raced back to his locker and to the awaiting present. He didn't even stop to shower, just tore open his locker and grabbed the package. Once it was in his hands, he paused.

What if she broke his heart again?

Was she worth the risk?

 _Yes,_ his heart said, and he tore open the present.

It was a worn, battered copy of _The Princess Bride,_ clearly loved and well-read. He flipped through it's pages, confused. Then, at once passage, he found a letter.

 _Dear Oliver,_ it read, _I know it must have seemed wrong, me appearing at the party on Will's arm. But ever since our parents died, it's always been that, and I couldn't go to the party with you when my brother expected me to go with him. That's why I refused. But it never even crossed my mind that not telling you I would be there would be so troubling. I'm sorry for that. I truly am._

 _I also realize that not having told you who I was might not have been the best idea. But for the longest time, ever since Will joined the team and became famous throughout Scotland, I've only been known as his sister. People ask me what it's like being the sibling of a great rugby player, people treat me differently, people recognize me on the street, even. I thought that if you knew who I was, or if you knew I knew who you were, you wouldn't want to be around me. I wanted to get to know you on my own terms. By the time I realized my two worlds would be colliding, I didn't even think about the impact it would have on us both._

 _This copy of_ The Princess Bride _was the one my mum gave to me when I was a little girl. I marked a certain passage in it that I hope you will enjoy. Once more, I'm so sorry, Oliver, and I do hope you'll forgive me._

 _If you ever want to see me again, I'll be waiting._

 _With love,_

 _Katie_

Oliver glanced into the book, looking at the page she'd marked. It was the passage where Buttercup was telling Westley how much she'd grown to love him. One certain line was underlined, and he smiled as he read it.

 _darling Westley, adored Westley, sweet perfect Westley, whisper that I have a chance to win your love,_ it read. Except, every time Goldman wrote "Westley", Katie crossed it out and wrote "Oliver".

Quickly, Oliver grabbed his bag and placed the book gently inside. Then, without even pausing to change out of his rugby uniform, he raced out of the locker room.

He realized as soon as he stepped outside that walking home was a terrible mistake, for it was beginning to rain. But he didn't care; he had to get to the bookstore. He hunched his shoulders over and ran down the street, avoiding what puddles he could and splashing through the ones he didn't see as the rain steadily grew harder. By the time he saw the wooden sign of Katie's bookstore, he was soaked to the bone. He hurried to the door and opened it, stepping back into the cool calm of the bookstore.

The door slowly swung shut behind him like it always had, it's soft ding the only indicator of his presence. He slowly approached the corner of the shelf. As soon as he turned that corner, he knew he would see Katie in her usual spot, either reading and drinking tea, or writing, or working on her computer.

"Hello?" her voice called, and his breath caught in his throat.

He stepped around the corner.

"Katie?"

"Oliver!" her eyes were wide with shock, and she looked like she'd seen a ghost. "Hi," she said softly.

"I...I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I-" he broke off as she came around her desk and stood in front of him.

"Oliver, it's alright. We were both foolish. I'm sorry, too."

He looked down at her, meeting her blue eyes with his green ones. He softly brushed a few stray hairs away from her eyes, tucking them behind her ear.

"Kiss me?" she whispered, and he leaned in, his lips almost to hers, where he paused.

"As you wish," he breathed against her lips, and then kissed her with all the feeling he had.


End file.
